Science
Melanie James and Rebecca Mansouri
Science Subject Leaders
"Everybody starts out as a scientist. Every child has the scientist’s sense of wonder and awe".
Carl Sagan
The study of Science provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.
Science Programmes of Study (KS1 & KS2)
Vision for Science
Progression in Knowledge and Skills for Science at Floreat Montague Park
In Early Years, Science is taught through the understanding of the world and the six other areas of the Early Years Framework. Children are encouraged to explore their natural environment, and use the outside area for a large part of their learning. The children are encouraged to make observations and draw pictures of animals and plants. They draw on their experiences to identify the similarities and differences of the environment around them. They understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them.
In Key Stage 1, children to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. We encourage the children to be curious and ask questions about what they notice. They are helped to develop their understanding of scientific ideas by using different types of scientific enquiry to answer their own questions, including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative tests, and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They begin to use simple scientific language to talk about what they have found out and communicate their ideas.
In Lower Key Stage 2, children broaden their scientific view of the world around them. We encourage this through exploring, talking about, testing and developing ideas about everyday phenomena. We look at the relationships between living things and familiar environments. Children ask their own questions about what they observe and make some decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them, including observing changes over time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out simple comparative and fair tests and finding things out using secondary sources of information. They draw simple conclusions and use some scientific language, first, to talk about and, later, to write about what they have found out. The children read and spell scientific vocabulary correctly and with confidence, using their growing word reading and spelling knowledge.
In Upper Key Stage 2, children develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. Children encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. They also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. The children select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Children draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings. The children read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly.
